Just a Wish
by ankaush
Summary: What happens when a severely beaten Harry wishes for something? Something which had very adverse consequences?


_How the hell did you do that freak?!_

The 7 year old with green eyes gulped. He knew this was going to be bad. The weary underweight child had powers, powers which labeled him as a freak. Not for the first time he cursed his "powers".

This was the matter of yesterday. When he was running from Dudley's gang, he somehow managed to land on the roof of the school building. He tried to convince himself that he was so thin he was blown away. But he knew it wasn't the case. He had seen it in television at Mrs Figgs. He can count the number of times he has watched television. So he was pretty sure what he did was called as teleportation. This was not the first time he did something which was labeled freaky. But this was the first time someone saw that. His cousin, Dudley, noticed that somehow he had vanished and ended up on the roof. As much as a pighead he was, he knew it was something "freaky". And then here he was, on the brink of another punishment from his uncle.

"Tell me Freak! Why did you use your freakish powers? How many times I have to tell you to stop ur freakishness around us!"

Slap!

The force of the slap forced Harry to stumble backwards. "I will not cry. I will not give up my uncle's tirade" was the thought Harry had before he was howling in pain. His uncle had just beat him with his cricket bat.

"Feel the pain, freak? That's what you deserve! That's what the freaks like you deserve!"

Harry couldn't think properly. The pain was too much. His uncle continued to beat him with the bat, occasionally at his head too. He could sense his vision dimming, he just wanted the pain to go away. He could see his cousin Dudley grinning smugly, seeing that Potter was punished for his "freakishness". His aunt didn't look too happy. That made his heart leap, but still it hit him that she didn't stop his uncle from beating. Not that he cared. The pain was just too much for him.

"I hope you learnt your lesson freak! No food for you for three days!" said his uncle, and just dumped him into his cupboard.

Harry cried silently, curling himself into a fetal position. It hurt too much. His powers has caused him so much harm, he just wanted it to go away. He did not want the power! He wanted the pain to go away. He just did not want a power which causes his uncle to be so mad at him! Why him? What did he do! He cried and cried and cried. Cried as to how unfair it was, that in spite of getting better grades than Dudley, he was not even acknowledged. And he was beaten for being "freakish"! "Why can't he be a freak instead of me?" was the last coherent thought before Harry fell asleep.

 **Four years later**

Harry was relatively happy. Since "that incident", as he labelled it, he has been living relatively happily. No, he still lived in his cupboard, but he was at least treated better. No more beatings for being freaky, after all, nothing freaky ever happened to him thereafter. He wondered whether all those freaky abilities was because of his imagination or something. But he just shrugged, he needed to get started with the day's chores. And today was no normal day. It was Dudley's birthday after all. So special breakfast!

Harry sighed. He was still treated less than a servant. But he couldn't care less. His grades were high enough, and he could move out of here if he can get a good scholarship for college. He can manage to get some money by being a cook or something till he graduates.

The sight of Dudley made him sigh. Dudley was throwing a tantrum for getting one gift lesser than what he got last year. 37! Harry snorted.

And just when he was about to start making the breakfast, the bell rang.

"Boy! Go and open the door!"

Harry was already there; for he knew his cousin would not be even asked to lift his clothes. It was a special day for Dudley after all. Not everyday a person turns 11.

And when he opened he saw a middle aged woman with a prim looking attire looking at him. He could notice a hint of sadness in her eyes.

"Mr Potter, I would like to meet Mr Dursley regarding Mr Dudley's future education"

He wondered whether this woman was from Smeltings. Never the thought came to him as to how she knew his name.

"Yes, please come in!"

Harry invited her to the living room, where the Dursleys were helping Dudley with his presents. Harry noticed a hint of frown on the face of this woman. Not that he cared. And just when he was about to go back to making breakfast, he heard his aunt screech

"You woman! What are you doing here! The boy will not come to your freak school!"

Harry's heart ran cold. Freak School? There was a special school which had people with abilities?

"Mrs Dursley, as much as I wanted to have Mr Potter to be in my school. He cannot. I have come to give the letter for Mr Dursley. His name appeared on the list of students eligible this year"

Harry wondered if this was what known as pin drop silence. He could smell the bacon getting burnt up, but the fact that Dudley was invited for this "freak" school was something which is interesting.

"What? My Duldeykins is not a freak!"

"No Mrs Dursley. Mr Dursley, have you ever done something which cannot be explained?"

Harry could imagine his pig-headed cousin trying to think. He snorted. He is as dumb as one could get.

"Em. Yeah! I once vanished like that freak did!"

"About whom are you talking about, Mr Dursley?"

"That Potter freak! He did it once! After that Dad managed to beat the freakishness!"

"Mrs Dursley, I cannot believe you would allow such a thing to happen to your own nephew! Freak? Beatings? Magic is no freakishness!"

The woman sounded outraged. And that's when Harry thought his uncle would blow up. But surprisingly, he didn't. Harry heard the woman taking some deep breaths.

"I am Deputy Headmistress McGonagall representing Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And your boy Dudley can do magic. He has the ability which makes him a candidate to be a student in the school. Here is his acceptance letter."

Harry was surprised that neither his uncle or aunt sounded near bit outraged. They were always against freakishness. What now?

"Erm, Mrs Mcgonal. Erm, wait here. We need to think about this. Can we contact you some other day?"

"Ok Mr Dursley. We will send an owl a week later. Please reply. And Mr Dursley, may I speak to Mr Potter?"

"Erm ok. Bo-Potter! Come here!"

Harry quickly threw away the burnt bacon and headed towards the living room. He could see his aunt glaring at him and Harry wasn't sure what she was thinking. His uncle was surprisingly calm, and Dudley, looked smug as usual.

"Mr Potter, I am quite sorry to note that, in spite of your name being listed at your birth, somehow you lost your ability to do magic. Might be due to the reason that you used up your magic to survive the killing curse, but I am sorry to say you will not be admitted to the school"

Harry thought she looked real miserable when she said this. Wait? Killing curse? what? But before he could ask, the prim looking woman turned to Uncle Vernon and said " We will await your reply. If you are inclined to accept, a professor from school will help Dudley to collect his things. Else the ministry personnel will look to the fact that you do no remember this encounter. Good day Dursleys. Good day Mr Potter. And you are truely your mother's son"

Harry felt a bit of warmth when he heard that. But the moment the woman left the house, his uncle called him to the living room. And he had the cricket bat in his hands.

"Boy. What. Did. You. Do. To. Dudley"

Harry felt a chill in his spine. It was "that" day all over again. He was nearly in tears.

"No uncle. I do not know! Please! Don't beat me!"

Smack! Thump!

Harry could feel his vision fading. His uncle landed a direct blow to his head. His spectacles shattered, and Dudley was taking pleasure seeing this. Harry could feel his head going all fuzzy.

Thump! Thump!

Harry touched where his uncle striked again. Blood was coming out of his head. he could feel that he was losing consciousness hard and fast. He fell to his knees, and he could see some sort of light. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was a bright light and a woman with red hair which he had seen only in his dreams.

 **Two Days later**

Petunia was always jealous of her sister. But she still loved her to an extent. But when she saw her boy living dropped in front of her house, all she could think was hatred." This brat was the reason her sister died! "

She didn't hate her nephew. But she didn't bother to treat him well either. Her husband and son treated him horribly, she didn't mind. But her world as she knew was overturned when that McGonagall woman came to her house.

Her precious Dudley had magic. She didn't know whether to feel proud or sad. But she and her husband decided, no. Dudley will not go to that freak school. He had those abilities because of his freak cousin after all.

She grimaced. Though she never cared much for her nephew, the beating he got two days ago was a bit severe. She thought she saw some blood leaking from his head, but no matter. He always recovers. Two days were more than enough.

But when she tried to wake him up, he didn't respond.

"Wake up, boy! Get started with your chores!"

He didn't respond. She frowned. It wasn't his way. When she tried to shake him and wake up, she noticed his body was cold, and blood was dried in his head. Her blood grew cold. It couldn't be that the boy was dead, is it?

When she tried to feel his pulse, no response. She was worried. What will people think? They knew that her nephew lived with her.

"Vern! Please come here!"

Vernon was a huge man. He couldn't get into the cupboard of course. She noticed his expression immediately changed when he saw the boy.

"What's with the boy! Is he troubling you!?"

"N-No. He's dead."

A second of silence followed. Vernon looked surprisingly calm.

"Good riddance. Lets bury him in the garden and plant a tree over it."

Petunia looked a bit shocked. But nodded. The boy didn't deserve anything more. He was the reason her sister died after all. Good riddance indeed. But..

"What about neighbours?"

"We will say he ran away."

Good enough reason.

"And will Dudley attend.. that school?"

"No! Absolutely not! He got his freakishness from the boy! We will send them one mail later and that's it!"

Petunia nodded. She was happy enough. She didn't want to associate with that world.

 **4 months later**

The Dursley's lived a routine life thereafter. Appointed a help to get over with their chores. A boy named Harry never seemed to have ever existed.

Ministry obliviators made sure that their memories were wiped and Dudley's magic blocked. Nobody even knew that this was the home of their once labeled savior.

Ah yes! The wizarding world did not take the news of Harry being a squib well. The boy who lived remained a myth though. They did not even come to know that their supposed savior was brutally murdered.

Lucius Malfoy was a happy man. He had both the Black and Potter wealth now. Once Potter was declared as a squib, Black was the only obstruction. A "rouge" dementor took care of the issue. Then it was as simple as a leviation spell. Convincing minister that he was the nearest relative to Black and Potter, and in turn, his wealth, was a piece of cake. And now, he was just waiting for his master to come back.

Dumbledore was not a happy man. First, the child of prophecy was a squib. But at least, he had a backup. But just when he was about to start training the Longbottom boy, that Granger girl had to die. No, he was absolutely devastated that a life was lost, but it was a blunder for the greater good. Severus Snape was appointed Headmaster after the incident, as he was the scapegoat for "lack of security". And Quirrel. Oh he looked smug when he was kicked out. He couldn't even take out the stone. And here he was, sitting in his brother's pub, thinking about the possible future of wizarding world, which looked quite bleak in his eyes.

Lord Voldemort was excited. Potter was a squib! And just when things couldn't go any better, the Granger girl died due to the troll he set out loose, was a perfect reason to take out Dumbledore! At least the mudblood has her uses. He was grinning now as Severus was making the Elixir of Life from the stone. The Potions master immediately came to his side when he knew Potter brat was a squib! Now all he needed was a body before he rightfully claimed the Wizarding world for himself.

And Harry? He was beyond happy. Who knew one would prefer being dead over living? He was glad that he lost his powers. He was finally united with his parents. They were quite sad to see him die so soon. But they could spend a lifetime together now!


End file.
